Eight weeks into the fantasy football season, every edge matters. We’re heading into the second half and the playoff picture has taken shape across your leagues, but whether you’re all-in for a title or on the fringes, there are still moves to make. He may not be available on the waiver wire, but if he is, Jordyn Tyson is a must-stash pickup this week – here’s why the Saints wideout could make a massive difference in your lineups.
Is Jordyn Tyson a must-add waiver pickup?
Back in April, the New Orleans Saints took Jordyn Tyson with the No. 8 selection in the first round. That was a premium pick, but the flashes the wide receiver showed in college were certainly worth that choice. He began his NCAA career with Colorado back in 2022, with whom he recorded 470 receiving yards and four touchdowns on just 22 receptions. That was some truly impressive production from the true freshman, but his season came to an end after nine games when he suffered a major knee injury that saw him tear an ACL along with some other structural damage. The following season, he transferred to Arizona State, where he spent most of the season rehabbing before appearing in just three games, which resulted in him being declared a redshirt.
However, over his final two years in the NCAA, he flashed sky-high potential with the Sun Devils. The program had just moved into the Big 12 and Tyson needed little time to adjust. He caught 75 passes for 1,101 yards and 10 touchdowns as a redshirt sophomore, averaging 91.8 YPG before a broken collarbone ended his season prematurely after 12 games. Still, he showed elite after-the-catch ability and was one of the best wideouts in the nation when healthy, setting the stage for another big year to come. However, he was limited to just nine games during his final season while dealing with hamstring issues and saw a slight downtick in production. He hauled in 61 passes for 711 yards and eight scores, also reaching the end zone one additional time on a rush attempt to bring his touchdown total to nine.
Even after all the bumps and bruises, Tyson showed plenty throughout his time in college. Over his final two seasons at Arizona State, he recorded a grand total of 136 catches for 1,812 yards and 19 total touchdowns in 21 games, earning All-American and All-Big 12 nods in both years. He skipped most athletic testing at the NFL Draft Combine due to injury, but his draft profile was certainly enticing enough to be worthy of the pick New Orleans spent on him.
The Saints clearly needed some additional firepower on offense heading into draft season, so pairing the speedy Tyson with Chris Olave was supposed to provide them with a high-upside one-two punch at wideout. That pairing was also expected to help elevate the game of second-year quarterback Tyler Shough, too. That dream was put on hold before Tyson’s rookie season even began, though, as he suffered a hamstring strain at practice back in August. He’s been on IR since late August while recovering from that injury, biding his time until he can get on the field.
The soft-tissue injuries are concerning for Tyson and were a major knock on his profile coming into the draft. Even still, the upside is tantalizing once he can get on the field, and with the Saints on a bye in Week 8, the earliest possible return date for him is Week 9. More than halfway through the fantasy regular season, there’s a solid chance that the rookie is available on the waiver wire as patience with his recovery timeline grows thin. If so, he’s certainly a name to target this week, especially if your team is in a good spot and doesn’t need immediate production.
After all, it’s easy to see a world in which he immediately steps in and sees a sizable opportunity share. The Saints’ offense hasn’t been great by any means and the team is just 2-5, often trailing in games thanks to one of the NFL’s worst defenses. They rank seventh in offensive plays per game (65.6) and are pushing the tempo with the second-fastest pace on a per-play basis (26.6 seconds). Their pass rate of 64.7% also ranks sixth in the league and they run 11 personnel with three wideouts at a 69.1% rate, fifth highest. Once he’s healthy, Tyson should see the field often in a pass-happy offense that has to throw in order to play competitive football. That should be conducive to opportunities for fantasy production.
While he won’t help lineups in Week 8 and may not even return for Week 9 depending on how his recovery continues to progress, Tyson does make for a luxury add in fantasy football who could make a big impact down the home stretch. If he is the player who was promised, he could provide WR2/FLEX production from the jump once he’s healthy. It’s just a matter of patience, but he should be worth the waiver add if you can stomach waiting another week or two for points.
